Rationale

This course focuses on the vital role of information systems in supporting the organisation's business processes, achieving an edge over its competitors, and enhancing the decision-making of its managers and staff. The strategic implications of information systems will be analysed, and students will be introduced to the development, implementation, and maintenance of various types of information systems, with particular emphasis on systems relating to enterprise applications, customer relationship and supply chain management, executive support and knowledge management, and global systems. Students will further gain a foundational understanding of the underlying information technologies from the perspective of management, and topics such as wireless, data storage, telecommunication services and Internet technologies will be included. In addition, the strategy and policies to ensure that investments in these information technologies will deliver real value for the organisation will be addressed. Prevailing issues in information systems, such as those concerning sustainability and green initiatives, ethical and social challenges, change management and information security, will also be examined.

Synopsis

This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of how information systems are used to support the organisation's business processes, provide an edge over its competitors, and facilitate the decision-making of its managers and staff. The strategic implications of information systems will be considered along with the development and implementation of various types of information systems, and their underlying technologies. In addition, the strategy, responsibilities and policies concerning investments in information systems will be addressed. Prevailing issues in information systems, such as green IT, ethical and social challenges, change management and information security, will also be examined. Formerly CIS5001.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

understand and apply basic information systems principles, concepts and ideas of how commercial and public organisations use information technologies to realise their mission and goals

identify and explore contemporary challenges and opportunities in information systems and to formulate an opinion or judgement and offer possible solutions

demonstrate ability to identify potential opportunities for creative and sustainable use of information technologies to achieve corporate objectives

demonstrate ability to collaborate with peers to analyse and solve business problems with information technologies, and present the solution in a team report

demonstrate effective communication by composing writing that communicates ideas, meaning and/or argument in a format that broadly follows conventions in the information systems field

apply technology and online skills to locate relevant information for the assignments, analyse the presented problems and data, and engage in the use of the resources provided on UConnect.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

Organisations, management and the networked enterprise

30.00

2.

Information technology infrastructure

30.00

3.

Key system applications for the digital age

20.00

4.

Building and managing systems

20.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2012&sem=02&subject1=CIS8000)

Students will work in teams to complete the assessment. The IS project will require students to use an application software, such as Microsoft Excel and Access, to solve typical management decision problems.

Students will work in teams to complete the assessment.

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
If you are an international student in Australia, you are advised to attend all classes at your campus. For all other students, there are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded. Unless otherwise directed by the examiner, students should submit the electronic copy only of the assignments through UConnect. It is the student's responsibility to make sure appropriate attachments are uploaded and submitted (send) for marking, and that the files are appropriately named. Hard copy or e-mail submission is NOT acceptable.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
There is no examination in this course.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Not applicable.

University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

Assignments: (i) Assignments must be uploaded electronically through UConnect by 11:55pm AEST on the due date. (ii) Students must retain a copy of each assignment submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the examiner. (iii) In accordance with university policy, the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. (iv) The examiner will normally only accept assessments that have been typed and submitted on a single file with appropriate document name. (v) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in Australia, such as a show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the examiner's convenience.

Course weightings: Course weightings of topics should not be interpreted as applying to the number of marks allocated to questions testing those topics in an assessment.

Referencing in assignments: Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.

Make-up work: Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.

Deferred work: Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. The temporary grade of IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up) may be awarded.